​6 tips for styling your pixie cut

To feminize a boyish cut, like Robin Wright's, blow-dry bangs to the side using a small round brush. "Wearing the bangs soft and side-swept can help minimize a square jaw and make a short cut look less severe," says Tim Rogers, a hairstylist at the Sally Hershberger salon in New York City. If bangs are short, pieciness can accomplish that, too. For a wispy effect, flatiron the face-framing sections, then tousle, and separate them with your fingers.

Want to look like CharlizeTheron? (Don't we all?) The trick to keeping hair like hers modern and youthful is using products that add toughness and texture. That means picking lightweight waxes or pomades and tossing anything you associate with sleekness, like gel or frizz fighters, says Rogers. "I love Living Proof Perfect Hair Day 5-in-1 Styling Treatment because it works well on all hair types and adds shine without sacrificing texture," says Marilee Albin, a hairstylist at Chris McMillan, The Salon in Los Angeles.

Waxes and pomades are great for getting a piecey texture, but use too much and you could wind up with a greasy, spiky Kate Gosselin situation. A dime-size dab is usually enough to get a roughed-up look, like Jennifer Lawrence's here. Or if you don't trust your ability to practice pomade restraint, follow hairstylist Anh Co Tran's advice and avoid it altogether: "I like to use beach spray on dry hair to add grit and make hair look a little bit dirty and sexy," he says.

"People have a misconception that just because you have short hair, you always have to wear it the same way," says Co Tran, who gave Coco Rocha her short haircut. Consider that myth busted: Changing the placement of your part can make a pixie feel entirely new. "If you have long hair on top, like Coco, you can sweep your hair to the side, part it in the middle, or even pull it back," he says.

A little bit of lift can turn a cool cut glamorous—and adding volume is easy. "Long hair has all of that bulk and weight pulling it down, but a short cut can make you feel like you suddenly have so much more hair," says Rogers. To get Miley Cyrus's look here, he recommends running a lightweight volumizer, like Living Proof Amp² Instant Texture Volumizer (he is the brand's creative director), through hair and gently lifting it up with your fingers as you blow-dry. For even more body, flip your head upside down while you're blow-drying it—the va-va-voom results will make the head rush worthwhile.

If your hair is naturally curly, wavy, or thick, like Rihanna's, tame it with heat. First, rub a very small amount of a concentrated serum between your hands and run them through your strands, says Rogers; then working quickly in small sections, use a flatiron to smooth them. "This is the best way to style extremely coarse or thick hair," he says—the iron adds shine and makes hair easy to control.

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Pixies are having a major moment, and we can see why: When styled well, they're edgy, playful, feminine, and cool-and after what feels like years of rampant hair extensions in Hollywood, they're also a breath of fresh (h)air. Here, six expert tricks for styling your crop.